Ending The Year with Flourish
December 12, 2025 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Denise M. Colby, Word of the year, Writing GoalsI love this time of year. Not just because it’s the holidays and the decorations and the festiveness of the season. But because it’s a time to reflect on all that’s happened this year. A time to review what took place. A time to plan for the next year. That’s why I titled this post ending the year with flourish.
I usually write a summary for our Christmas card on all the family has been doing this year. In my writing world, I like to fill out a summary of all that I accomplished and learned, both good and not so great. Usually the list is better than I realize, so it’s a good exercise. (I’m just starting with it as I write this blog post, so thank you, A Slice of Orange, for giving me a deadline).
I also assess my word of the year. For 2025 it has been Flourish. I have a word journal and I did not write in it very much this year. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I was busy flourishing and didn’t have as much time as I have had in past years.
Why Flourish?
First, let’s dive into what the word was about for me. If you look at synonyms for flourish, you get a feel for what I was focusing on this year.
Bloom. Thrive. Blossom. Brandish. Wave. Curlycue. Grow.
I wanted to flourish in my walk with God, my relationships, my writing, my work, and my health. I also wanted to help others flourish.
My previous years were Grow (2024), and Change (2023) and this built on that. I was ready to flourish. And I feel like I did just that.
How did I flourish?
In my personal life, I’ve added strength training into my workout regimen. I’ve stabelized some health issues I had been dealing with. My contract day job went permanent. My husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary and took a three week trip to Europe together. We’ve been able to get together with many friends and family. In fact, tonight we are celebrating my father-in-law’s 90th birthday and earlier this year we celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. We’ve hosted a lot of family get togethers this year.
Writing specific end of year flourish
Since this is a writer’s blog, I won’t share more personal things, but dive into my writing list. Here’s a few things I would add under flourish for 2025:
- I released two books in 2025 – A Slight Change of Plans and No Plan at All
- My debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, was announced as a Carol Award Finalist
- I wrote the fourth book (for a 2026 release)
- I ran my first GoodReads giveaway
- I participated in 11 bookfunnel promotions
- I participated in a book club with eleven other new-to-me authors
- I participated in a round robin email exchange and gained more subscribers (crossing the 500 threshold)
- I sent out one newsletter a month
- I attended two writing conferences
- I’ve reviewed countless entries from my critique group
- I judged entries for two different contests
- I posted all 12 months on Slice of Orange Blog (here’s my archive link to my own posts – you can actually see where I flourished as things were happening)
- I posted 6 blog posts on my own website
- I’m currently writing a reader magnet
- I put together a proposal for 3 more books and am starting to write the first chapters to submit to my publisher
- I stretched myself to make reels on social media, more graphics
Well, wow. I hadn’t written all these out until now (and I keep thinking of ideas to capture – sorry the list got so long). That’s a pretty cool list. I think I did a lot of things that would fit in the flourish category.
How about you? What all happened in your life this year? Did you write new words? Complete a story? Pitch a story? Attend a workshop? Serve on a committee?
What comes next?
When I write out the rest of my 2025 review, I will include things that didn’t work as well. Tracking that is important too. It helps you know what not to focus on. Our time is limited and the choices we make with how we spend it matters.
To wrap things up, it’s been a great year. I’m very thankful for all of it. And have tried to enjoy every minute the best I can. Sometimes I was a little overwhelmed (okay, maybe a lot working a fulltime job, writing, and juggling family commitments).
Based on all of those things, I’m learning toward a word for 2026 that might help me in other areas of my life. We shall see. I’m still figuring out what that word will be. Stay tuned for my January post or watch for it on instagram or facebook once we head into the new year.
Other flourishing things
For now, I’ll leave you with a few Bible verses I had chosen for the word Flourish.
“In his days may the righteous flourish and peace abound, till the moon is no more.” Psalm 72:7
“As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes” Psalm 103:15
“May the LORD cause you to flourish, both you and your children” Psalms 115:14
And a few other quotes I found with the word Flourish in them
‘Who do you think you are?’ That’s the big one, isn’t it? A flourishing life depends on how you answer that. Robert Fulghum
When we tend to the areas of life that are important to us, when we make those things a priority, that’s when we will flourish in those areas. Victoria Osteen
There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish. Warren Bennis
To have produced a product where I had total creative control and see it flourish is like watching a baby grow. Karrueche Tran
May your December be full of flourishing. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
0 1 Read moreAn Interview with Jude Knight
March 28, 2023 by Alina K. Field in category Quarter Days by Alina K. Field tagged as historical romance, Jude Knight, Writing GoalsStretch Goals for Authors
Happy spring! Alina K. Field here, back with another Quarter Days’ post.
In the midst of a dry spell in my writing life, I was welcomed into a group of Historical Romance authors called The Bluestocking Belles. From medieval times to World War I, these ladies know their history. They also know how to use the historical milieu to shape compelling characters who will appeal to modern readers.
One of those authors is Jude Knight. Jude is a prolific author who features short historical romances in her newsletters, just the right length for a worktime lunch break, She also gives away made-to-order stories as prizes for winning readers at her Facebook parties.
A few years ago, Slice of Orange blogger, Tracy Reed, blogged about her 12 books in a year publishing challenge. I found her posts very inspiring–not of course that I’ve ever been able to match her accomplishments.
So in the hopes of perhaps inspiring authors reading this blog (and myself!) I’m sharing an interview today with New Zealand author Jude Knight, a founding member of the Bluestocking Belles. Jude is in the thick of a super ambitious publishing schedule!
So without further ado:
1. Jude, tell us about your 2023 projects.
I worked in 2022 to have enough books written that I could publish at least one a month from November 2022 to February 2024—so sixteen months of promotion, with at least eighteen books for keen readers to explore.
Yes, I know. It sounds a bit mad.
It’s not quite as epic as you might think. Last November’s and this January’s books were both collections of prepublished stories: one a set of short stories originally written for my newsletter, and the other the first four novels in my Golden Redepenning series. Two of the others have been out before in another guise—this month’s The Husband Gamble was in a multi-author box set, and July’s Grasp the Thorn is a rewrite of a novel for which I’ve just got the rights back.
That leaves ten novels and four novellas. Five of the novels are written. Three are between a quarter and a third done. The last two have a vague plot line and characters who are beginning to come into focus.
Of the novellas, two are written and two are still twinkles in the eyes of my plot elves.
But I have done the sums, and I need to write 265K words before the end of November. That’s nine and a half months, so 289 days. All I have to do is write 1000 words a day, and I’ll have 30K words a month. 31K most months.
In the past 12 months, with bathroom renovations, a garden makeover, family sickness, and all sorts of other chaos, I’ve averaged 35K a month, and still managed all the other work of running my own publishing imprint (I’ve been almost entirely a self publisher, but this year I’ve moved to hybrid, placing five books with Dragonblade Publishing).
Publishing at this scale is a bit like eating an elephant. But I’m just going to take it one bite at a time.
Here’s my list of what I’m working on:
Some of the dates may slide a week or so here or there. More may be added–if I can consistently write more than 30,000 words a month, while keeping up with editing, marketing, and all the other stuff that goes with being an author. Those with links in the list are on pre-order.
29 March 2023 The Flavour of Our Deeds, book 5 in The Golden Redepennings
26th April 2023 The Talons of a Lyon in The Lyon’s Den Series
11th May 2023 One Perfect Dance, book 2 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
15th June 2023 Chaos Come Again, book 1 in Lion’s Zoo
16th July 2023 Grasp the Thorn (House of Thorns revised and republished), book 2 in Lion’s Zoo
8th August 2023 Snowy and the Seven Blossoms, book 3 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
24th August 2023 a short story in the multi-author book Night of Lyons
16th September 2023 One Hour of Freedom, book 3 in Lion’s Zoo
10th October 2023 Love in its Season a novella in the Bluestocking Belles 2023 Harvest box set
10th November 2023 Perchance to Dream, book 4 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
15th December 2023 The Darkness Within, book 4 in Lion’s Zoo
16th January 2024 Concealed in Mist, book 2 in A Game of Mist and Shadows
23 July 2024 The Blossoming of the Wallflower, a book in the multi-author series The Revenge of the Wallflower
Job done. These are published and available now
14 November 2022 Chasing the Tale Volume II, in the Lunch Time Tales collection
15 December 2022 Belles & Beaux, a Bluestocking Belles collection
24 January 2022 The Golden Redepennings: Books 1 to 4
16 February 2023 Lady Beast’s Bridegroom, book 1 in A Twist Upon a Regency Tale
22 March 2023 The Husband Gamble, book 13 in The Wedding Wager (which is a multi-author series)
2. What made you decide on such an ambitious project?
I started a publishing and writing consultancy company in the late 1980s. For years, when people asked me why I decided to run my own business, I used to say that I’d gone to music festivals for five of my six children in a single fortnight, and my brain was numb.
That isn’t the explanation this time, but I suspect the real truth, both times, is that I like stretch goals. I always have. You’ve more chance of landing on the mountain tops if you aim at the moon rather than the foothills.
The other reason is the desire to be noticed. I have dozens of stories out in the market that are receiving good reviews and not all that many sales. In an overstuffed marketplace, especially when you’re an author that writes books that can’t easily be pigeon-holed, getting noticed is hard. Publishing at the rate I’m planning will at least mean that the retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble will have a new release in front of them all the time, and I’m hoping that will translate into them putting my book in front of their customers.
3. What has worked, and what hasn’t?
Dragonblade has worked. I’ve found them brilliant in the prepublication stages. My first book with them—Lady Beast’s Bridegroom, Book 1 of A Twist Upon a Regency Tale—came out four weeks ago, and I tripled my backlist sales for the rest of the month.
Having someone else do seven of the eighteen covers has also worked, as has hiring personal assistants to get me newsletter and Facebook Group placements, and to manage the contest I held for the launch of the new series.
I think the main negative I’m having to manage so far is psychological. I keep looking at that elephant and thinking, there’s no way! I’ll be fine as long as I don’t let that scare me off.
Perhaps the whole plan won’t work, but I’m just four and a half months and four published books into it. I’ll report back.
4. What’s been most challenging for you?
Writing every day, no matter what, no matter how little. I wrote 1000 words this week in the waiting room of a hospital while my daughter was having an operation. I wrote 150 words the day my personal romantic hero and I drove for seven and a half hours to be with my sister whose property had been flooded in a super storm, and enough words in dribbles that very busy week of cleanup to put 2000 words towards the month’s total.
When I don’t write every day, I stop writing. I lose all impetus, the plot elves sulk and refuse to talk to me, and I don’t like myself very much. But it happens. The challenge is to stop it from happening.
5. Do you have any advice for authors taking on this sort of goal?
Yes. Break your plan down into monthly goals. Be adaptable. Major commitments this week to throw your plan off track? Recalculate and keep going. And be kind to yourself. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Take a walk. Have a glass of wine. Do some gardening.
6. Why do you choose to write historical romance?
I write historical romance because I love history and because love stories with happy endings are a joy to read. The world has enough authors writing serious books that challenge and depress. I want to bring joy.
I made a decision in 2021 to spend 2022 concentrating on books for 2023, including a series for Dragonblade Publishing. The series is A Twist Upon a Regency Tale, and it’s coming out one book every three months 2023. The four novels plus a book in the Lyon’s Den series are all written, and the first was released in February.
I’m also writing some other books, and I think I’m on track to have books out (either sole-author publications or novellas in multi-author publications) every month from November 2022 through to January 2024.
~~~
Alina here: Jude’s new Dragonblade release, Lady Beast’s Bridegroom is a great read. In fact all of Jude’s stories are fascinating, but I especially like her Return of the Mountain King series about the heir to a duke who returns to England to take up his title with the children of his late Persian wife.
I hope Jude has offered you some inspiration!
Thanks for reading along this far. I’ll be back in June with another Quarter Days’ post!
About Jude Knight:
Jude Knight always wanted to be a novelist, but life got in the way for decades and she nearly lost the dream. She wrote a thousand beginnings, but it took a huge life event to shove her into writing an ending. That was in 2014. Eight novels and counting later, plus short stories and novellas galore, she’s living her dream: writing historical fiction with a large helping of romance, more than a dash of suspense, and a sprinkling of humor.
Learn more about Jude at:
Website and blog: http://judeknightauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudeKnightAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudeKnightBooks
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jude-Knight/e/B00RG3SG7I
My Word for 2023 is Change
January 12, 2023 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Denise M. Colby, Word of the year, Writing GoalsMy word for 2023 is change.
Why change?
This year will be some big changes in our family. And I hope to make some changes of my own.
What type of change?
First our family changes. With our youngest in his senior year of high school, we will be done volunteering and being involved with high school activities come June. I will miss it. Supporting all the kids, cheering at choir, theater, and other events, and hanging out with other parents. Three kids and 10 years at the same school (for our 3 sons), it will be weird to say goodbye.
But with goodbye, is the opportunity to spend more time on my writing endeavors. To change my writing process, my manuscript, and my writing time. And hopefully do a little more travel and exploring with my hubby. I’m super excited about that.
Researching My 2023 Word Change
I like to explore and research my word, finding quotes and phrases that support why I chose the word I did. What I found encouraged me even more that this was the perfect word for me in 2023.
Change begins at the end of your comfort zone
Roy T. bennett
I’m at a place where I know I need to change things in my manuscript to take it to the next level. And I’m ready to do it. After a lot of work (my word in 2022), reviewing and evaluating the entire novel, I know what I need to work on. And embracing change instead of being fearful of it, is how it’s going to get done.
Here’s to a year of change!
Denise M. Colby loves to choose a new word each year and then share what she learns about it. She wrote about her 2022 word, work, in her latest blog post, and created a highlights page for her 2020 word of the year courage on her website.
LET’S NANO
November 5, 2020 by Tracy Reed in category Pink Pad by Tracy Reed tagged as Making time to write, NaNoWriMo, Prepping for Nano, Writing Goals
I did it. I officially jumped into the NANO pool.
I don’t know what it is about this year and the desire and excitement to participate in NANO. Maybe it’s the unusualness of 2020 or maybe it was just this was the year I was supposed to do it. I have attempted to participate in NANO in the past, but never followed through. Technically, I can say I did NANO in 2016 when I wrote and published a book a month, but I won’t because that was a different writing schedule. By that I mean, some of those books had been written over a period of months. The ones written in a month were less than fifty thousand words.
I am a proud pantser, but I am also a planner. I spend about an hour on Sunday or Monday planning my weekly schedule. NANO is the perfect opportunity for me to combine the two. I also research things I’m not familiar with or need direction on how to do.
Knowing I was going to do NANO I went to YouTube and a few AuthorTubers. The amount of information out there was overwhelming. I heard everything from stockpile your favorite snacks, stay hydrated, don’t forget the wine and coffee, meal prep, hire a housekeeper if a messy space is a pet peeve, post “do not disturb” or other threatening signs on your office door for annoying family, join a NANO community, exercise, have your favorite music and get plenty of rest. Oh yeah, and make a writing plan.
I thought my head was going to explode. I took a step back and reminded myself of one simple fact. I wrote a novelette in three days with about six hours of sleep, coffee and a couple of meals a day. I’m pretty sure I can handle fifty thousand words in a month.
How did I prep for NANO? I created a plan that was right for me.
Commit to NANO
Don’t just say you want to do it, but tell someone. When you give life to the task becomes a reality.
Join a group for accountability
This is one of the areas where I messed up in my previous NANO attempts. Having an accountability group encourages me to stick to my plan and make attainable goals. Thanks Charmed Writers.
Get snacks
I liked the suggestion to have snacks at the ready. However, prior to NANO, I was diagnosed as being wheat, soy, almond, cow’s milk and egg white sensitive. Some of my favorite snacks include those things. However, I found a couple of things that work, plus I have plenty of water, coffee and red wine.
Keep a journal
I decided to keep a journal of my daily progress. I also use it to keep notes about my book.
Set a daily word count
The other prep tip I liked was setting a realistic daily word count. I knew I wasn’t likely to write on Sundays, Thanksgiving and I needed a little flexibility for BFCM [Black Friday Cyber Monday] sales for my lingerie business. Exceeding my daily writing goal will allow me to skip a couple of days if I want to.
Figure out what to write
When I was toying with the idea of NANO, I had an idea of what I wanted to write…the follow up to my 2019 NANO book.
As I said, I’m a pantser so when it comes to writing, I plop my butt in the chair and let the characters tell their story. Last year I selected a book I wanted to write, but for some reason I never connected with the story. It was like the characters had gone silent. I switched books and the story practically wrote itself. I didn’t complete the book, but I did write fifty thousand words during NANO.
I completed my 2019 NANO book in February of this year and as of this post, it’s with my beta reader and headed to my editor this weekend.
I wanted to release the book earlier, but with the strangeness of 2020, I decided to push it back to February 2021. When I completed the book, I had no intention of continuing the series. But the characters said something different. I deleted the last chapter and made part of it the first chapter of book four, the book I’m writing during NANO. My plan is to release the books back to back next year.
I just completed NANO day four and I feel good about my progress. As of this post, I’m at 9002 words. My daily goal is 2084 words, but I’ve been exceeding it.
Here is the best advice I have for anyone wanting to do NANO…just write. Whether the words make it to the final draft, it doesn’t matter. The goal is write a book with at least fifty thousand words. It doesn’t have to be good, it just needs to be completed.
Happy NANO and Thanksgiving.
Finish Your Book by Kitty Bucholtz
October 10, 2020 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz tagged as Kitty Bucholtz, Master Class, Writing Goals
One of the things I’ve noticed about how the pandemic has affected writers is that many have lost their mojo. All the craziness in life has been filtered into a never-ending news stream that is sucking the joy, creativity, and peace from our days. I know a lot of people who haven’t been writing, or not nearly as much as they normally do.
On the other hand, I’ve also talked to quite a few people whose lives have been disrupted to the point that they’ve started thinking about finally writing that book they’ve been dreaming about. They’re just not sure where to start.
These friends and strangers have encouraged me to create a group coaching program to help writers finish their book. Over the course of eight weeks, I work with you to rebuild a foundation for making solid progress on your book. One client finished a book she’d been working on for over 20 years! Another wrote 2 1/2 times his goal during the program. It works. And I’d love to help you or someone you know.
I did a series of webinars last week to give folks some tips on getting back into it, and explaining the program. Check out the replay and let me know if I can help you. At the very least, I hope you get some ideas and energy from listening to me. I’m excited for you to finish your book! You never know, you could write a book and change the world!
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